Madison public relations and marketing firm The Creative Company was presented with a 2025 Inner City 100 award by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City.
The national award recognizes 100 of the fastest-growing businesses in the nation. Fewer than 2% of companies participating in ICIC programs become IC100 winners.
“Being named an IC100 award winner is a meaningful milestone for our team,” Laura Gallagher, founder and president of The Creative Company, said in a statement. “For more than 35 years, we’ve been committed to helping mission-driven organizations tell their stories, strengthen their brands and uplift the communities they serve.
“This recognition underscores the power of purpose-driven work and the importance of investing in small businesses.”
ICIC helps accelerate small business growth in communities lacking resources to promote inclusive economic development.
Gallagher was part of the 2016 cohort of ICIC’s Inner City Capital Connections program.
To qualify for an IC100 award, a company must be independently operated, privately held and for-profit with revenues of at least $50,000 in 2019 and $500,000 in 2024.
“IC100 honorees are more than leaders; they are changemakers who uplift their neighborhoods while driving sustainable growth,” ICIC CEO Steve Grossman said in a statement. “These businesses are proof that investing in under-resourced communities generates exceptional results.”
The Creative Company is part of a network of more than 9,000 alumni businesses, of which only 400 have been awarded as an IC100 business.
Other winners throughout the years include Printfresh, Angie’s List, Brooklyn Brewery and Terracycle.
